


Not Short on Surprises

by Chaotic_heart



Series: Not Short on Love - Aidean series [2]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit RPF
Genre: Fluffy, M/M, Sweet, holiday story, suggested additional pairing, there will be sexy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-01
Updated: 2014-01-01
Packaged: 2018-01-06 23:49:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1112959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chaotic_heart/pseuds/Chaotic_heart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With the holidays approaching, Dean and Aidan are preparing to go their separate ways for three weeks.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Short on Surprises

**Author's Note:**

> Just a short, fluffy holiday timestamp for Not Short on Love. 
> 
> Happy holidays everyone.

It was hard to believe almost nine months had passed since Dean had become encased in Fili's skin. It was even more unbelievable that he and Aidan had been together for seven of those nine. And it was so damn good. Seven months of getting up early, slogging around in lumbering costumes and almost as heavy heads of hair, getting minimal sleep, being away from family and friends, and spending most of his time with the man he'd fallen hopelessly, helplessly, in love with. It really didn't get much better than that.

Not that he dwelled on that particular feeling or what it meant in any long-term way, or even that he and Aidan discussed it with any more depth than uttering the words on rare occasions. When Aidan had finally said the L-word, he'd promised to say it often so Dean would remain aware of his feelings. But that hadn't been what Dean wanted or even needed. He believed and felt Aidan's feelings whether they were snuggled up tight in one of their beds—too exhausted to even talk let alone get busy—or just through a simple bright-eyed grin across the production stage. 

Love wasn't something either one of them took for granted, and since their relationship had remained a secret—so far—they were still careful to watch their _handsy_ behavior as Graham liked to call it. Of course, that part of their coupling wasn't so hard to explain since both of them were known to be a little over generous in their affections for everyone anyhow.

The closest thing to the future that they'd even touched on--when they weren't constantly touching or trying not to touch each other—were the holidays and Christmas, and now that the auspicious time was upon them, they'd been having a hard time actually sitting down to talk about it.

"It's going to be strange not seeing you for so long." Aidan sat cross-legged on the bed of their Wellington hotel room where the cast had been put up until each of them flew away for their time off. He had the sweetest little pout on his lips, one that totally made Dean want to toss him down and have his way with him. "Especially since we've been spoiled with things here for the last few days."

"Are you trying to say you'll miss me, Turner?" 

From his leaned-back position against the wall, Dean's face broke out in an almost painful grin. He twisted and turned his phone between his fingers as Aidan picked at his cuticles. Three weeks did seem like an excruciatingly long time to be away from each other, but Dean's plan was to not get melodramatic about it. Ah, the failed plans of mice and men…and dwarves.

Trying to avoid the subject had been like having that huge, white elephant in the room follow them around the set, to the dining hall, and even worse, under the covers at night. Dean had tried to push it away, using humor and changes of subject when a sad heaviness invaded Aidan's usually soft eyes. But the truth was, their separation had been weighing on his mind for weeks.

It wasn't that he didn't want to talk about it because it was silly, or even that he didn't share Aidan's obvious concern or outright worry either. He hoped that putting off the subject would somehow make it easier for them to talk about when the actual time came. He was wrong. And now that the inevitable was happening in only three days—two more sleeps as his mother used to say—he cursed himself for his incorrect thinking.

"We can talk every day, or at least Skype." Dean wasn't sure if he was trying to convince Aidan or himself, but his attempt at lightening the mood was definitely not working. "I'll buy you an outrageous telephone plan for Christmas."

The downcast look on Aidan's face was literally killing Dean inside, at least in the few moments Aidan had looked up at him during the last hour of sitting motionless on the bed where they still were. His boyfriend's head hung low, springy curls hiding his face as he continued to fidget and chew on his nails. Dean reached over, gently tangling one of his hands with Aidan's. He tugged, once, twice, three times until Aidan finally budged, the sweet Irish smile returning to his lips as he giggled then sprawled over Dean's lap.

Dean lifted their hands to his mouth, pressing a lingering kiss to the soft skin just on the inside of Aidan's wrist. "Seems we've turned into a couple of mooning saps, haven't we? Can't let James know that. He'll never let us live it down."

Aidan nodded, shifting so his cheek rested on Dean's thighs. "I can already hear his growl," he said with a full-throated laugh. " _Bloody girly-boys_."

"He's one to talk, mooning all over his wife the way he does." Dean joined Aidan's quiet chucking as he squeezed the chilled hand between his fingers.

"He'd never see it that way though, would he?"

"Maybe when we get back we can, I dunno…tell some of them?"

Aidan shifted to blink up at Dean. "Is that what you want?"

"I'm not sure." 

Dean traced Aidan's jawbone, mapping the contours and pressing his fingers a little harder than necessary. He needed to remember the feel of Aidan's skin, his bones, every single part that he worried he might suddenly forget, but he was adamant about not letting Aidan see his discomfort. The change in subject, though a tricky one, was almost welcome. 

He continued, "Hiding away just the two of us has its merits, but I'm not certain I can keep it to myself much longer."

"Yeah, yeah. It's difficult to remember sometimes that I'm not supposed to kiss you in line for tea or grab your arse when we're waiting for Peter to call us."

Dean nodded before leaning over to kiss Aidan. It was tender and slow, and just a little mournful in his mind. "But we're big boys. We can manage if we have to, yeah?"

Aidan smiled against Dean's mouth. "Speaking of big—" Dean pulled back as he snorted out a giggle. "What time do we have to be at Richard's?"

"Half-past." Dean squeaked when he suddenly found himself in something akin to a headlock, dragged and manhandled until he was lying flush on top of Aidan. Long fingers crept under his T-shirt and his interested dick pressed against Aidan's own hardening wood.

"Plenty of time then. Top or bottom, O'Gorman?"

Dean shoved himself to his knees, tugging his shirt over his head and tossing it to the floor. "Hmmm," he said, thrusting out his chin and pursing his lips in dramatic thought. "I think I'd like to top from the bottom today."

Aidan growled as he flipped a Dean to his back. "Your wish is my command, love."

~*~*~

They arrived at Richard's flat about half an hour late, freshly showered after their session on the bed—followed by the one in the shower—a bottle of wine and box of sweets at the ready.

"I can't believe you brought Rich chocolates."

"They're not _for_ him. They're for the party," Aidan hissed back. 

Dean grinned and moved to the left after realizing they were standing a little too close to one another on the top step. It was odd how such things invaded his mind when, in reality, if it were anyone but Aidan standing beside him, he wouldn't have given their proximity any thought at all. He supposed it was just one of the annoying parts of harboring a secret.

It was Graham who finally came to the door, welcoming them both inside then squishing them together in a three-way hug. Dean felt almost assaulted when he was let loose, and even Aidan's face was a little flushed with the force of their friend's embrace.

"Aye, boys, right on time as usual." Graham's face was a tad flushed, his eyes alight with what Dean assumed was the extra head start he'd gotten in the celebrating department. He growled, much like Aidan had imitated earlier, but with a garbled chuckle overriding the strength of the sound. "Come on in. Rich has me on welcoming duty while he fusses about. You know how he is."

In truth, they didn't really know how Richard was outside the set, at least not in the way they knew most of the others. He was nothing if not professional, and his work ethic was just one of the things Dean found so admirable and astonishing about him.

Dean thought Richard was one of the most talented—if not _the_ most talented—actors he'd ever worked with, and he'd spent at least the first couple of months on set just being in awe of Richard's concentration and focus. Aidan teased him that he had a crush on Richard, but the reality was that the entire cast seemed to hold some sort of affinity to the charms of Mr. Richard Armitage, as well.

Graham shuffled them through the small hallway, talking and chuckling a mile a minute as he took their coats and rattled off the contents of the bar. Dean was a little taken aback at the bright room where he and Aidan joined the rest of their friends--it was positively twinkling and glowing. An abundance of fairy lights were strewn everywhere, joined in their festive spirit by shining ornaments and green wisps of holly tucked here and there amidst the other decorations.

Richard had never seemed the type to go to such lavish extremes, hadn't been one to socialize much at all since he'd immersed himself so deeply in Thorin. The rest of them understood his procedure and respected his ability to bring so much light into a character with so much darkness surrounding his heart, but this was indeed a side to him they'd never expected.

Dean and Aidan had just settled themselves around the table of snacks, each of them sipping on a beer, when someone unexpected made an appearance.

"Lee? Hey mate. I didn't know you were in town." Dean stepped forward first to hug the lengthy man with Aidan quickly following suit. 

Lee Pace was a congenial, bright-spirited, gorgeous man, and a fabulous actor to boot. He hadn't been around as much since his elven king wasn't as prevalent as some of the other characters. And as far as Dean had known, Lee had gone back to the States more than a month before.

"Good to see you," Aidan said as he moved to stand beside Dean again. "Couldn't stay away from us, yeah?" He smirked, his grin infectious just as it always was. Dean smiled right along with him as the rest of the boys greeted and questioned Lee on his comings and goings.

"I've been here for about a week." Lee's Southern accent barely peeked through his words, but in a room full of accented men, his voice was just as unique. "Thought I'd take in a little more of the country while I had the time." 

He seemed a little flushed, but whether it was from the large glass of red wine in his hand or something else entirely, Dean wasn't sure. The pink looked good on him though.

"But Thranduil will be coming back for more scenes when we all get back, won't he?"

Dean smirked as Lee threaded long, elegant fingers through his hair, making it stick up in cute little tufts. His face had taken on an even brighter shine, but Dean still couldn't tell if it was the alcohol, the twinkly lights or real embarrassment that colored his cheeks. They all discovered the truth mere seconds later when Richard stepped up beside Lee, huddling a little more into Lee's personal space than he was known for doing.

"Does anyone need anything? I've got some mulled wine in the kitchen if you'd prefer that to beer." He paused, gazing from one dwarf to the next before settling his eyes on Lee, a confused look on his face. "I'm sorry. Did I interrupt something?"

"No," Lee said quickly. "The guys were just asking me about Thranduil."

Richard nodded, a sweet grin curling his lips. "You've got some good scenes coming up. I'm um...looking forward to Thorin sinking his teeth into the _elven king_." He blushed the same color as Lee upon the realization of what he'd said, and Dean was struck with how nervous and awkward Richard seemed. It was normal for him to be that way during public sorts of situations, but not in their small circle of friends and co-workers.

The heavy pause in the conversation was almost palpable. Dean shifted closer to Aidan, leaning just a tad towards him so their hips touched. It was hard to be so close to him and not outright touch him, especially after a few beers already under his belt…and was it his imagination or did Aidan smell particularly good tonight?

"I'm gonna grab some mulled wine. This stuff has gone flat in my glass," Lee said after the shuffling of feet and crossing of arms became almost unbearable. "Should I use one of the glasses you bought last week, Rich?"

Richard turned to look at Lee, and Dean could have sworn there was a joyful brightness to his blue eyes that wasn't caused by any of the fairy lights illuminating the room. "Of course. I think I stashed them in the same place as the others."

With a nod and a smile much the same as Richard's, Lee ducked his head and slipped away from the group. Richard turned back, a slow blush creeping into his cheeks again.

"Staying with you, is he?" Aidan asked with a teasing lilt. Dean nudged him with his shoulder to keep him quiet, but truth be told, he was just as interested in the answer. "He seems awfully familiar with your flat."

"No more than the rest of you I'm sure." Richard licked his lips, bringing his wine glass to his mouth and concentrating very hard on taking a slow sip.

"Yeah, yeah," Aidan replied as he stuck out his bottom lip. Dean knew he should shut him up because he was pretty sure what Aidan was going to say next, but he was too damn intrigued to do anything about it. "Except I don't think the rest of us have been invited here before."

His words caught Richard mid-sip and Dean almost felt sorry for him, except the glow that crept from his neck and up was too bloody sweet to interrupt. "He's just…we're just…bloody hell." Richard stammered over his words in a way Dean had only seen him do in interviews, his low voice flustered and shaky.

Dean finally stepped up to save the poor Brit. "Aid's just messing with you, Rich. No need to explain." He reached out and patted Richard's shoulder, peering to the side to wink at Aidan in a way no one else could see. "You know that's what he lives for, yeah? To fuck with everyone's heads."

"Damn good at it too," Graham added with a chuckle.

"He's a friend," Richard said with a nod. "He's going to stay for a while and take in the sights with me."

Even James was being awfully polite in the wake of Richard's glow. "Always nice to have company."

"He's a good guy."

"Yeah, yeah, friendly giant of a man."

"Peter seems taken with him, that's for sure."

"Makes a bloody handsome elf, too."

Richard appeared more uncomfortable after every compliment. "All right…truth is…I guess we've been seeing each other for a few months." He sighed as he paused, the company quiet, actually listening as he continued. "Or we were until he went back home. It's not really a secret or anything, we're just…I don't know, taking it slow perhaps."

Graham laid a hand on Richard's arm. "That's good, Rich. And you gotta know none of us will say a bloody thing outside this room."

"Thanks. He's um…not like anyone I've been with before."

"I think it's awesome that our uncle has found someone," Aidan said with a smug grin. 

He elbowed Dean in the ribs causing his arm to jerk and his beer bottle to slip from between his fingers. It crashed to the floor, splinters of glass flying every which way on the hard wood floor.

"Oh, fuck. I'm sorry." Dean swept his arm in front of Aidan, pushing him back and away from the shards at his feet.

"It's perfectly all right," Richard said. "Lee? Love? Can you bring the broom and pan, please? I mean…Lee…"

"Fucking adorable," Aidan whispered close to Dean's ear.

"Hush," Dean warned, but he couldn't hold back his own grin. "I'm really sorry. You can blame Aidan."

"Blame ya both since ya can't seem to stay off each other's laps." Graham's words weren't spiteful but Dean's mouth dropped open just the same. "Ah, now would ya look at the two of you, both your jaws flapping in the wind. Trying to catch some identical flies, are ya?'"

"What you talking about, old man?" Aidan spoke fast and loud, the back of his hand brushing over Dean's thigh as he seemed to shift closer rather than farther away—something Dean would have thought was the more logical direction given the situation,

He saw Richard smirk behind his hand, James dip his head in laughter and Adam nudge Graham in the side with his hand—all at the same time.

"How long have you bastards known?" Dean slid his arm around Aidan's waist, digging his fingers into his hip when he tried to move away. "And if you did, why didn't you say something?"

"Wasn't our place," Adam said softly.

"We figured you'd tell us when you were ready," Richard agreed with a nod.

James finally lifted his head. "And it was too bloody delicious to watch the two of you squirm."

Aidan tilted to the side, knocking his head against Dean's quite by accident if the force of his recoil was any indication. "Whatcha mean squirm?"

Graham took up the reins next, the instigator of the whole damn awkward conversation. "If you weren't my friends I might say it was cute how ya kept trying to stay away from each other. You certainly have that look about ya though, but I know you too damn well to think you're cute."

"Jesus Murphy, Graham. You don't hold any punches, do you?" Lee had returned to the room, stepping around Richard with a broom in his hand. "Sounds like I missed something juicy."

"I think the four of us have been outed," Richard said quietly. His gaze never left Lee as Lee stopped short and slowly turned to look at him.

"Four of us?"

"Yeah, you're included in that little equation. Who would have thought the two kings would get on so splendidly." Aidan's cheeky demeanor was firmly back in place as he tugged Dean into his side with an arm wrapped around his shoulders.

Richard snorted then blushed again. "I'd say you're not one to talk considering you're having _relations_ …with your brother."

Dean groaned and ducked his head. "Can we not go there, please?"

"Dean had some strange dreams when we first…got together." Aidan teased with neither Dean's consent nor agreement. "Little disfigured Durin babies—"

"Aidan! There's such a thing as too much information."

"I'd have to agree with the little Kiwi. I'd rather not be privy to that particular information." James grinned, his smirk in direct contrast to his words.

Graham shook his head. "I love you boys, but I'm not interested in that side of ya. Goes for you too, King Under the Mountain."

"Agreed," Richard said with a definitive Thorin-bow. "Now why don't you all move away so I can get this mess cleaned up. There are some chairs on the patio and a few blankets as well, in case it's a little too chilly." He bent down to hold the dustpan for Lee and Dean saw the sweetest look pass between the. The king was definitely in deep with the elf and visa versa.

"Hey Aidan! Is it okay if I share my blanket with Dean? Seems he likes a bit of the Irish anyhow."

"Fuck off, James."

And with that, normalcy—at least for this particular group of men—had returned.

~*~*~

The gathering gradually grew into a raucous party, as was usually the case when Thorin's company and a few extras got together. Everyone was in good spirits, the drinks flowing and laughter rocking Richard's tiny flat. Dean found himself watching Richard and Lee on several occasions, completely by accident. Their relationship was a curious one and far more unexpected than Aidan's and Dean's—at least in Dean's book.

Richard was an enigma when it came to his personal life, even after so many months spent together with everyone on set. It was interesting and sweet to see him so relaxed and comfortable, at least once the initial shock of being outed had passed. The fact that Lee wasn't as highly familiar as some of the others only added to the curiosity, but Dean saw an honest respect and mutual appreciation between them. He wondered how everyone in the room now viewed he and Aidan since they'd gone from on-screen brothers to a real-life couple.

"You're thinking too hard." Aidan's lips were tantalizingly close to Dean's ear, so near his warm wisps of his breath over Dean's skin vibrated all the way to his dick. "Think we've put in enough time to disappear now?"

Dean tipped his head to rest against Aidan's. "You make it sound like a chore or bloody boring family obligation. These are our friends, Aid—"

"Friends or not, all I've thought about is sucking you off for the past half hour."

 _For fuck's sake._ Dean struggled to his feet, using Aidan's shoulder to balance himself when his head suddenly spun, more than likely from the amount of alcohol he'd ingested--or perhaps the sudden flood of blood to his dick.

"I think we're gonna head out," he said with too much haste. He took a deep breath, feeling his face heat up as he tried to calm the rapid beat of his heart. The hand Aidan had wrapped around his arse didn't help matters either. "Been a long day you know. Have to get packed and ready to leave and all."

"Though we both leave day after tomorrow," Aidan offered with a deadly grin.

"Aidan!" Dean growled as quietly as possible. The damage had been done though, the room a lit with knowing smiles and cheeky chuckles. "Fucking Irishman."

"I pity whoever is in the room next to yours." Graham guffawed after he spoke, slapping Aidan on the back with a force Dean felt a whole body away. "How you lads getting back? Wanna share a cab or would that be tempting my own innocent fate?"

Dean gave Graham a gentle shove. "Innocent my arse. You've probably been listening at our trailers for months."

Graham shook with laughter. "Naw, I gave James and Martin that privilege."

"Bloody fucking liar," James hissed. "And with Martin not here to defend his honor and all."

The room broke into bursts of laughter at the image of Martin needing anyone else to defend his honor. Richard finally pushed off from his place by the wall where he'd been leaning very close to Lee.

"I've only had one glass of wine so I can drive you if you're ready. You too, Graham, but you have to behave." Richard brushed his fingers over Lee's arm. Lee smiled in reply. "I'm leaving Lee in charge so you best all behave…yes, James, I'm talking to you."

"Aye, but I'm not the one who needs the reminder. You'll have these two making a mess in your backseat if you don't get them to their room soon."

"Bastard," Dean said with a grin. "We should get a move on then. Don't wanna make you come along to hold our dirty knickers while we get busy in the back, unless of course you plan on offering up your services."


End file.
